“Rotating” regulating systems are already known, wherein the regulating device is mounted in a suspended rotating carriage, that may comprise one or two pivoting arbours or staffs, said carriage being permanently driven, for example by the third wheel. CH Patent No. 256 59 discloses a single staff “carrousel” movement for a timepiece with centre seconds, driven by the third wheel pinion, the balance-staff being shifted with respect to the pivoting arbour of the carriage.
CH Patent No. 693 047 discloses a “tourbillon” mechanism, whose carriage is pivoted on two perpendicular arbours so that it can take a large number of positions, the sprung-balance staff then being centred on a pivoting axes, the assembly still being driven by an intermediate wheel receiving its driving energy from the barrel.
There also exist “tourbillon” mechanisms wherein three pivoting axes are provided, as disclosed for example in CH Patent No. 693 832.
In all cases, it will be observed that rotation of the carriage incorporating the regulating device is a forced movement. In other words, this rotation of the carriage requires additional energy from the motor member, namely the barrel, even when this is not necessary, for example when the timepiece is at rest, for example when placed on a table for the night.
Moreover, it will be observed that the movements imposed on the carriage can theoretically and statistically compensate for rate variations, but, when the watch is worn on the wrist, there is nothing to prevent the regulating device remaining in a given position long enough to cause a significant gain or loss. In other words, there is no interaction between the permanent rotational movement imposed on the tourbillon and the spatial orientation of the watch, and thus of its regulating device, when it is worn on the wrist.